419 scam: ECO BANK PLC <ecowas.consultantdesk@revenue.com> ECO BANK PLC NOTICE BOARD!

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +22996846005 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: ECO BANK PLC <ecowas.consultantdesk@revenue.com>
Reply-To: eco-banktransferunit@o2.pl
Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2011 19:04:36 +0530 (IST)
Subject: ECO BANK PLC NOTICE BOARD!

FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT
TREASURY
BILLS & BOUND
NO-4 WALTON HALL,
TRADE FAIR
BALONGUN.
TELE
21159557

ECO BANK PLC NOTICE BOARD,

I
AM MANAGER ROBERT NMA, I WRITE TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT I WAS APPOINTED AS
THE NEW BANK MANAGER OF ECO BANK PLC AND AS I RESUME FULL WORK 8 AUGUST 2011 I
FOUND YOUR TRANSACTION FILE AND THAT YOUR TRANSFER IN THE BANK BOUNDED ACCOUNT
HAS NOT BEEN EFFECTED TO YOU SINCE THE PAST YEARS AND AS I HAVE THE NEW PROJECT
AT HAND, I HAVE FORWARD YOUR PAYMENT FILE TO OUR FOREIGN TRANSFER UNIT TO LOOK
INTO YOUR FILE AND HAVE YOUR PENDING TRANSACTION WITH THE BANK COMPLETED TO YOUR
BANK ACCOUNT IN YOUR COUNTRY.

AFTER THE OFFICIAL MEETING WITH THE BOARD
OF FOREIGN TRANSFER UNIT THIS MORNING,IT WAS APPROVED THAT YOUR TOTAL DUE SUM OF
$950,000.00 IN THE BANK BOUNDED ACCOUNT SHOULD BE WIRE TRANSFERD INTO YOUR OVER
SEE ACCOUNT .

TO CARRY OUT THIS TRANSFER, THE FOREIGN TRANSFER BOARD HAS
OUTLINE THAT FIRST YOU MUST BECOME AN ACCOUNT HOLDER WITH THIS BANK AND THIS
SIMPLY MEANS THAT YOU HAVE TO OPEN A NON-RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNT WITH THIS BANK TO
ENABLE THE FOREIGN TRANSFER UNIT BE ABLE TO REMIT YOUR DEPOSITED FUND IN THE
BANK BOUNDED ACCOUNT INTO YOUR ACCOUNT WITH THIS BANK BEFORE WE CAN BE ABLE TO
TRANSFER THE TOTAL MONEY IN THIS YOUR ACCOUNT TO YOUR OVERSEA ACCOUNT THERE IN
YOUR COUNTRY.

TO OPEN A NON-RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNT WITH THIS BANK WILL COST
YOU JUST $90USD only FOR YOU TO BECOME AN ACCOUNT HOLDER WITH THIS
BANK.

a)THE BANK CHARGE YOU $60.00 USD TO OPEN A NON RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNT
FOR YOU.

b)AND YOU MUST HAVE A BALANCE OF AT LEAST $30.00USD IN THIS YOUR
NON-RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNT WITH THIS BANK BEFORE WE CAN BE ABLE TO CREDIT YOUR FUND
FROM THE BANK BOUNDED ACCOUNT INTO YOUR ACCOUNT WITH THIS BANK IN READINESS FOR
THE TRANSFER TO YOUR OVERSEAS ACCOUNT.

THE FOREIGN TRANSFER UNIT HAS
APPOINTED AN ACCOUNT OFFICE WHO WILL OPEN THE NON-RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNT FOR YOU
ONCE YOU COMPROMISE AND SEND THE OPEN ACCOUNT FEE TO HIS INFORMATION BELOW. IT
HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SHOULD USE YOUR ACCOUNT OFFICE NAME AND DETAILS
BELOW AND SEND THE OPEN ACCOUNT CHARGE OF $90 VIA WESTERN UNION NOW SO AS TO
SPEED UP THE RATE OF PICK UP AND THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER BE CONDUCTED TO YOU
IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY.

ACCOUNT OFFICE
DETAILS.

RECEIVER NAME==============AMEKE CHINEDU
MICHAEL
COUNTRY====================BENIN
REPUBLIC
CITY=========================COTONOU
TEST QUESTION TO BE
USED=====TAG
ANSWER======================PIN

AFTER YOU SEND THE OPEN
ACCOUNT CHARGE $90 GET BACK TO US WITH THE MTCN AND AS WELL AS YOUR ACCOUNT
INFORMATION WHERE THE TRANSFER SHALL BE CONDUCTED TO YOU AS STATED
BELOW.

Full
names...............
Address................
Country...............
Telephone
and Fax numbers...............
Occupation...............
Yours ID or your
drivers license ...............
Bank name and address...............
Bank
account number...............
claimer
Signature................
Date...............

YOURS IN SERVICE,
THE
MANAGER,
ECO BANK PLC
MD.ROBERT NMA
Direct phone
+22996846005

Anti-fraud resources:

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